Clash of the Planet Gods
by TheBlackPrince3
Summary: AU. Having acquired the eight gym badges in Johto, Ash Ketchum is ready to take the Silver Conference by storm. With his team of legendary pokémon and an undefeated Dragonite, how will he fair in the tournament. Meanwhile, disaster is brewing over the horizon and the region of Hoenn is falling into chaos. But what does Ash have to do with all of this? Read on to find out!


A/N: Hey guys! This is TheBlackPrince3, formerly known as Pikachu0311.

First of all, Happy New Year! I wish all of you a wonderful 2016. May this year create lots of sweet memories for you.

I know that many of you have been waiting for this story and to be honest, I'm excited as well. I hope that you'll like it better than the old one. I put much work into it.

The first chapter is rather long, around 7000 words. But I warn you that the future chapters will not be so long. Well, I can make them long but that means there will be longer periods between updates and I know that many of you won't like it. Well, we'll just have to see, won't we?

Now, without further ado, I present you the rewrite of The Weather Trio: The Legend Repeats –

Clash of the Planet Gods

Chapter One

Matches and Memories

A cool breeze swept over the forest, causing many of the pokémon inhabiting it to scuttle back into their homes. The trees swayed in the breeze, the last rays of the sun reflecting off of the leaves and making for a beautiful sight. Suddenly, the bushes moved away revealing three people walking into a clearing.

"I think this is the perfect place to camp for the night." said the tallest and oldest of the three, looking around with his barely opened, squinty black eyes and tapping a finger to his chin. This was the former gym leader of Pewter City and an aspiring pokémon breeder, Brock Slate.

"What!? Can't we go on for a bit longer, please Brock?" the second male of the group begged his companion, waving his hands about and causing his hat to fall off his head. Darting his hand forward he managed to catch it before putting it on his mop of black hair. The 12 year old was named Ash Ketchum, whose dream was to become the greatest pokémon master ever.

The third and only female of the trio sighed in exasperation. "If you haven't noticed, Ash, it is becoming dark," she pointed out to the often dense boy, nodding her head in the direction of the setting sun, causing her orange side-ponytail to swing from side to side. "And it's dangerous to walk around in these parts at night."

Brock agreed with his female friend. "Misty's right," he stuck his hands in the pocket of his brown pants. "Don't worry. We have enough time to make it to Mt. Silver before the league commences."

Ash grumbled for a moment but quickly relented. "Fine. I think I'll train for a bit," he turned to Misty with a grin and a determined glint in his amber eyes. "Want to join, Misty?"

The now named Misty grinned back at her friend. "Of course. I need to improve myself if I want to become a water pokémon master, right, Togepi?" she smiled down at the baby pokémon in her arms, patting its head which had five spikes that seemed to form a crown.

"Toge Toge Togepi!" chirped the baby pokémon, waving its stubby hands in an excited way. Togepi was a small, light yellow Pokémon with a round body that was still encased in its eggshell. The egg had red and blue shapes on it.

Misty laughed at her Pokémon's antics. Ash's green backpack suddenly started shaking on its own accord. He quickly took it off and opened it.

A small, green reptilian pokémon jumped out of the bag and landed on the ground. It looked around the forest it found itself in and turned its gaze to Ash. It smiled at the trainer, raising its short, fingerless arms in the universal gesture to be picked up. "Lar!"

Ash chuckled and picked the rock skinned pokémon. "Hey Larvitar. Had a nice sleep?" he asked, rubbing the blunt spike on the small Pokémon's head. It cooed in pleasure, closing its red eyes. Larvitar had hatched from an egg that had been entrusted to Ash which he was supposed to take to professor Elm's lab in New Bark Town. On reaching the quaint town, the three trainers learned that Larvitar had been separated from its mother by a group of poachers that tried to capture its mother. But seeing the trust and affection that the newly hatched pokémon had for Ash, professor Elm had instead requested him to take it back to its home on Mt. Silver.

Brock and Misty watched the exchange in fondness. Misty decided to try her luck with Larvitar one more time. After all, she couldn't resist cute baby pokémon! She approached Ash and greeted Larvitar. "Good morning, little one." she smiled down at it.

Noticing Misty in such a close proximity, Larvitar immediately froze up, not moving an inch as though it was a statue. Ash and Brock frowned while Misty sighed in disappointment. It was not something new for them; Larvitar didn't react positively to anyone except Ash. They didn't know the reason for its fear of human beings but it seemed that Ash was the only human that it trusted more than anything.

Brock put a hand on Misty's shoulder. "Don't worry Misty. I'm sure that Larvitar will come around someday. Just give it some time," he comforted the Cerulean native. "After all, it has been only a few days since it hatched."

Misty still looked sad so Ash decided to change the subject. "Hey Misty, how about we have a battle?" he asked in an effort to cheer the water specialist up.

Misty instantly got a challenging gleam in her viridian eyes. "Sure! Let's go!" she shouted, pumping her fist in the air. She then turned to Brock. "Do you want to witness our battle?" she asked him.

The brown haired breeder gave both Ash and Misty an apologizing look. "Sorry guys, but I need to make dinner," he smirked at Ash, deciding to play with his young companion. "But I'll forgo preparing it if you really want me to observe your match."

Ash immediately protested. Misty and Brock laughed at their friend. They knew that Ash loved eating as much as he loved battling. The raven haired trainer pouted at his two laughing friends.

Five minutes later, we find Ash and Misty facing each other at a distance. At the sidelines, Larvitar and Togepi observed the two trainers. Well, Larvitar was doing the observing while Togepi was being its usual cheery self. Ash stood confidently, his blue jacket with white sleeves and collar rippling in the evening breeze, revealing the teal colored shirt underneath. He had light blue jeans that matched perfectly with his jacket.

Misty, on the other hand, wore a yellow crop top and jean shorts which were held up by red suspenders. Her orange hair and ponytail swung back and forth as she glared at Ash.

Ash removed the single inhabited pokéball from his belt, enlarged it and smirked at his friend and current opponent. "Are you ready, Misty?" he asked her challengingly.

Misty removed her own blue special pokéball and clutched it hard. She knew which pokémon that Ash was going to use as he only had one pokémon on his person, the others busy on their respective duties. "I was born ready." she replied and enlarged it as well.

Ash adopted a serious look and threw the pokéball. "Dragonite, time to battle!"

The pokéball flew through the air and flipped open, a bright flash of white light shooting out of it. The light slowly materialized into a large, draconic, bipedal Pokémon with light orange skin. It roared upon its arrival, shaking its head which had a small horn set between a pair of long, thin antennae sprouting from it. It had a striated cream-colored underbelly that extended from its neck to the end of its long, tapering tail. But the feature that stuck out the most was a black scar below its right eye.

Misty stared determinedly at Dragonite, which stared back at her, flapping its teal-colored wings. "Alright, Misty calls Croconaw!" she threw the lure ball in her hand. The blue sphere with red and yellow designs opened releasing a bright flash of light which formed into the visage of a medium-sized, bipedal, crocodilian Pokémon with a blue and yellow body. It had three red spikes on its head and two on its back. It danced happily upon being released and swished its tail that had a diamond-shaped spike. The most distinguishing feature of the pokémon was its chest, having an asymmetrical, yellow pattern resembling a spotted animal skin.

Larvitar stared at the two pokémon in awe, amazed by the power they were oozing off. If anyone had been paying attention to the rock and ground type, they would have seen a longing look in its eyes. Togepi began cheering for both the pokémon by jumping up and down and repeating its name over and over.

Ash turned his red and white pokémon league hat backwards and smiled at Misty. "You can have the first move." he offered generously.

"Well, thank you. But I assure you that you'll regret your decision." she smirked at her opponent. "Croconaw, use Water Gun!"

Croconaw danced hyperactively, opened its jaws wide and shot forth a spiral of water at Dragonite.

Ash crossed his arms, giving a calm, collected look to his adversary and her pokémon. "Dodge it, Dragonite."

Dragonite waited till the attack almost reached it and simply flew up, avoiding it. It gestured its fat arms in a way so as to say 'Bring it on!'

Croconaw ceased its antics and glared angrily at Dragonite. Misty frowned in thought. She knew that Ash was very tough, which showed in him being the youngest Indigo League winner ever; In fact, she knew that he was one of the factors that contributed in her becoming stronger herself. She remembered watching Ash grow stronger and stronger through their journey in Kanto and wishing to be as good as him, if not better. He had also given Brock and her some pointers for pokémon battling which made them a lot more powerful than they would have been otherwise.

Seeing that Misty was deep in thought, Ash decided to bring her out of her musings. "Dragonite, Ice Beam!"

Dragonite opened its mouth and formed a light blue orb in front of it. It threw its head back and shot multiple light blue beams at Croconaw at an incredible speed.

Misty immediately snapped out of her thoughts. "Dodge it, Croconaw!" she yelled in panic. She shook her head and regained her bearings. "Follow it up with Dragon Claw."

"You use Dragon Claw as well." Ash countered immediately.

The big jaw pokémon jumped out of the way of the incoming attack, although a beam managed to graze its tail. It immediately shook the attack off and charged at Dragonite, the claws on its hands glowing in a blue, claw-shaped energy. Dragonite stopped the Ice Beam and prepared for its own Dragon Claw. Its claws started glowing as well, it being white, and flew at Croconaw. The two pokémon clashed in the middle, both of them trying to overpower the other. The dragon and flying pokémon easily pushed its smaller opponent back, making it lose its balance. It was all the opening that Dragonite needed as it slashed at Croconaw viciously with the powerful dragon move. Croconaw cried in pain and flew through the air and landed on the ground.

"No! Croconaw!" Misty shouted in worry. Croconaw slowly stood up with scratches on its body and snapped its jaws together in anger. Misty sighed in relief. She thought of using a certain strategy but instantly discarded it, knowing that Ash had a counter for it. "Alright, use Dig."

Croconaw acknowledged its trainer with a nod before jumping into the air and making its way underground by using its claws to dig a hole. Ash smirked. "Wrong move," his statement was made clear with his next words. "Dragonite, earthquake."

"Quick, get out of there immediately!" Misty ordered hastily.

The water type came out of the ground near Dragonite and jumped into the air, just in time because in the next moment, Dragonite stamped its feet on the ground hard, creating a huge tremor that shook the entire field. Ash, Misty, Togepi and Larvitar struggled to keep their balance. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on the perspective, Croconaw was still in the air so it didn't receive any damage from the powerful ground type move.

Seeing an opportunity, Misty gave out a command. "Okay, Croconaw, use Ice Fang on Dragonite's wings!"

Croconaw gave out a battle cry, its fangs sharpening and being covered with ice. It was sure that it would deal heavy damage to the pseudo legendary pokémon. It adjusted its position so it could bite down on Dragonite's wings.

Despite the danger his pokémon was in, Ash did not worry. "Steel Wing." he said coolly. Dragonite roared and spread its wings, which immediately glowed a metallic grey color. Dragonite spun around, hitting the water type starter of Johto in the abdomen with the Steel Wing. Croconaw was flung through the air again and slammed into the ground with a pained cry.

Ash was relentless in his attack. "Now use Thunderbolt." He ordered.

"Croconaw! Please dodge it!" Misty pleaded with her pokémon, worried for its safety. Hearing the pleading tone in its trainer's voice, the crocodile-like pokémon gathered its energy and slowly stood up.

Dragonite's bulky body started sparking with electricity before it let out a ferocious roar and launched a strong bolt of lightning at the weakened pokémon. Misty's eyes widened in fright. She knew that if that attack hit, her pokémon would be done for. "Croconaw, use Protect!" she called out urgently.

Croconaw managed to raise its hands and formed a turquoise colored barrier around itself. The Thunderbolt hit the barrier trying to break through it. Finally after a few moments, the shield cracked and broke away, hitting the water type with the super effective move who was unable to maintain the shield in its weakened state. Croconaw screeched in pain, falling to the ground as its knees gave out.

"No! Croconaw!" Misty shouted, her viridian eyes revealing the fear she felt for her pokémon. Thankfully for Misty, the Protect at least reduced the power of the electric move. "Croconaw, I know you can do it. Show them your power!" she encouraged one of her strongest pokémon.

Croconaw struggled to get up, but hearing its trainer's words, it was filled with new energy. Giving out a cry, it stood up. It was clear that it had taken major damage as it was covered with large bruises and was panting heavily. Suddenly, Croconaw developed a blue aura around itself. The aura remained for a few moments and then disappeared, the Pokémon's eyes flashing blue for a split second.

Ash watched the process in amazement. "Wow, Croconaw just activated its ability Torrent." He murmured to himself but his words carried to Misty as well.

Misty stared at her pokémon in amazement. Her look soon changed into a determined one. She knew that Croconaw was very weak and it couldn't withstand much more of Dragonite's beating. She estimated that a single strong attack from a pokémon of Dragonite's caliber would knock Croconaw out. She came to her decision and made her move, which she knew to be the final one. "Croconaw, use Hydro Pump, full power!" she exclaimed.

Ash smiled at his starter pokémon who returned the smile. "Alright Dragonite, let's finish it. Use Hyper Beam!"

Both the pokémon let out their respective cries before fulfilling their trainer's orders. The spikes on Croconaw's head glowed red before it opened its mouth and let loose a powerful jet of water at Dragonite. Dragonite, in return, formed a ball of energy in its mouth and shot a concentrated dark purple beam of energy with a dark black energy around it at Misty's pokémon. Both the moves met in the middle, trying to push the other back. The two pokémon glared at each other and tilted their heads to the side in the opposite direction of each other. The Hyper Beam and Hydro Pump shot past each other before making contact with their intended target.

Dragonite flew back and landed on the ground with a thump. It stood up and roared in defiance, shaking its body to get rid of the water. It only had a few bruises which didn't seem to hurt it much. Croconaw on the other hand, screamed in extreme pain and fell to the ground, unconscious with swirls in its eyes.

No one moved or made any noise. Silence permeated the area for an entire minute. Finally, Misty sighed in disappointment and held out Croconaw's lure ball. "Return, Croconaw." She said. A red flash of light shot forth and sucked the fainted pokémon back into its ball. Misty smiled down at her brave pokémon. "You did well, I'm proud of you." She murmured to her pokémon through the device.

Ash also smiled at his first pokémon, holding out its poke ball and returning it in the same flash of red light. "You were awesome, buddy." He praised Dragonite. Putting back the poke ball on his belt, he slowly walked to Misty. "Hey Misty, you were great out there." He told her with a genuine smile on his face.

Misty frowned at him in confusion. "What? But I wasn't able to even land a single hit on Dragonite till the very end!" She protested.

"That may be so, but you have become stronger than the last time we battled. Remember when you couldn't even scratch Dragonite?" Ash asked in reply. "Dragonite didn't show it, but it got really worried when Croconaw's Torrent activated."

Misty thought about Ash's statement. She had to admit that what he said was true; she had never managed to hurt Dragonite badly, if at all. She shivered when a thought passed through her mind of how powerful Ash's legendary pokémon were. She had never battled any of them but she was sure that she stood no chance against them, if Dragonite was any indication to go by. She smiled weakly at Ash. "Yeah, it looks like I got to train harder." She then gave Ash a confident look. "But I promise you that one day, I'm going to beat you!" she declared, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ash laughed at Misty's enthusiasm. "And I'll be looking forward to that day." He said sincerely. He was confident that Misty would become a strong water pokémon master. He looked back to the day he had met this girl at the start of his journey and how she had changed into the woman in front of him.

Both of them were distracted by a commotion near the trees to the side. They turned around to see Larvitar and Togepi cheering and clapping for a great battle like that. Misty blushed and Ash rubbed his neck in embarrassment at their pokémon's support. They had almost forgotten about the two baby pokémon. Ash picked up Larvitar while Misty did the same with Togepi. They smiled at each other and started making their way back to their clearing to meet their friend.

"I hope Brock has finished making dinner." Ash mused to himself, rubbing his belly. "I'm famished."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ash!"

"Hey! Don't blame me. We battled for a long time. And if you haven't noticed, it has already gone dark." Ash pointed out.

Misty's eyes widened in realization. "Wow, I didn't realize that we battled for so long."

Half an hour later, Ash, Brock, Misty and their pokémon had finished eating dinner and were relaxing around a campfire. The humans sat on a few logs while Larvitar and Togepi sat on the ground near the fire, soaking in the warmth. Dragonite lay behind Ash, its eyes closed and enjoying the nature. The rest of the pokémon had returned to their respective poké balls to take a nap.

Larvitar stared into the fire, a thoughtful look on its face. It darted its gaze periodically from Ash to Dragonite, and again into the depths of the flames. Noticing it, Ash gave it a concerned look. "Hey, Larvitar. What're you thinking about?" he asked the rock type, getting up and coming closer to sit beside the pokémon. This caught the attention of all those present. Misty and Brock watched the duo curiously and Dragonite opened its eyes, stretched and made its way to the pokémon and its trainer.

The rock skinned pokémon hesitated for a moment but soon came to a decision and started gesturing wildly at Dragonite, then pointing to itself while trying to say something. "Lar, Lar Larvitar! Lar Larvitar?"

Unfortunately for the green reptile, none of the humans understood what it was saying. Dragonite on the other hand, gave a calculating look to its smaller friend, measuring it up. "Roooaaarrrr?" it asked Larvitar.

Larvitar gave the larger pokémon a determined nod. Dragonite then turned to Ash and tried to explain. "Roaa, roooarr. Rooarraoor." It gestured at Larvitar, then pointed to Ash.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" he asked in shock. He then turned to Larvitar. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked to make sure that Larvitar absolutely wanted it.

Larvitar nodded in determination once again and jumped up. Meanwhile, Misty and Brock were still confused by the exchange. Brock decided to voice his confusion. "Umm Ash, what's going on?"

Ash stood up and grinned at his best friends. "Larvitar wants to train with me. Apparently, it wants to become as strong as Dragonite." he replied.

"Really? That's great!" Misty smiled at Larvitar. "I know that you can do it!" she said with conviction. Larvitar gave her a tentative smile of his own.

"Yeah!" Ash cheered. "You just wait, you're going to become one of the strongest pokémon in the entire world!" he declared with confidence. He then adopted a serious look. "But you'll have to work hard to achieve your dream. Do you really want to do it?" he asked for the final time.

"Larvitar!" it exclaimed, raising its hands in the air.

Brock chuckled at the Pokémon's enthusiasm. "That's wonderful." he complimented. "But Ash, why don't you take it easy with Larvitar?" he asked, becoming worried. "It is still a baby after all."

Ash gave a serious look to the breeder. "As I said, Larvitar will have to work hard if it really wants to become powerful. But don't worry, I won't push it beyond its limits." he assured him. "But true power comes with hard work and rigorous training. Just look at Dragonite. It has never lost a battle."

Brock thought for a moment but relented. "Okay, if you say so..." he trailed off.

"Yes, I'm sure. See how much Dragonite has grown from the little Dratini I met four years ago?" he smiled at his first ever pokémon who snorted at him. "Larvitar will one day become just as strong."

"Come to think of it, you never told us how you met Dragonite, Ash," Misty wondered. "I mean, I'm sure that professor Oak doesn't give out Dratini as starter pokémon. And you said that you met it four years ago while it has been only two years since you started your journey."

Brock too had a curious look in his eyes. "Yeah, Ash, why don't you tell us the story?" he asked.

Ash hesitated for a minute but seeing the eagerness on all of their faces, including Larvitar and Togepi, he gave in. He shared a look with Dragonite who nodded back. Ash sighed and flopped down near the campfire. Brock and Misty sat on the ground surrounding the fire as Togepi jumped into Misty's lap while Larvitar sat beside the pallet trainer. With all the attention on him, Ash began the tale that had changed his life forever. "Well, it all started four years ago..."

Four Years Ago, Pallet Town, Kanto.

An eight year old Ash Ketchum ran through the forest near Pallet Town. He did not see where he was going as he had his head down, trying to keep in the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. The sound of his feet stamping the ground echoed around along with his barely held in sobs. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime of running, he stopped and fell down, curling into a ball. His shoulders shook with the effort of keeping his emotions in bay. The reason for all of this? Gary Oak.

Gary had once been his friend but they had slowly started growing apart. Ash knew that Gary was the only one to blame, as he had started becoming arrogant, going around the town as though he owned it and degrading others for not having enough knowledge about pokémon. Ash wiped his eyes furiously. Well, no one else had a world renowned pokémon professor as a grandfather.

But today had been the last straw. Ash could still remember what had happened as clear as day. Gary had started asking him questions about Pokémon and when Ash had been unable to answer them, Gary had begun mocking and insulting him. The worst part of all? The kids that he thought to be his friends all laughed along and joined in the "fun".

"Why!? Why did Gary do it? Am I really that stupid? Is Gary right?" he asked himself furiously.

Suddenly, he heard a cry. Ash looked up, alarmed. He finally took in his surroundings and paled. He was in a part of the forest that was forbidden to all those who didn't have a pokémon with them. Before he could panic, he heard the cry once again. He frowned. It seemed like someone or something was in pain. Slowly he stood up and started walking towards the noise. He knew it was dangerous but he couldn't let the thing, whatever it was, suffer. And from the sounds of it, it was in great pain.

He soon reached a large clearing. It had a stream that flowed with great speed. But his attention was captured by the thing that was the origin of the noise.

It looked like a blue serpentine creature. And it was struggling in the water, trying to reach the shore without being swept off.

Ash gasped, terrified for the pokémon. He watched it for a moment, then shook himself. Honestly, what was he doing, standing here stupidly? He scowled. But there was nothing he could do. He looked around for something. Instantly, his gaze landed on a branch under a tree. He bit his lower lip... Maybe it could work...

Coming to a decision, he quickly made his way to the tree and picked up the branch with some difficulty. Slowly walking back to the edge of the river, he extended an end of the branch towards the flailing pokémon. "Here! Try getting on it!"

The pokémon tried to grab the branch but it was just out of reach. Gritting his teeth, Ash bent over carefully, getting the branch nearer to it without falling in the stream himself. Ash's eyes widened as the flow of water transformed into an extremely fast moving current. The pokémon panicked and with all its energy, leaped at the branch, finally succeeding in coiling its thin body around it.

Ash gave a mighty tug, yanking the long piece of wood over to himself. Finally flopping down on the dry land, he wiped his brow and sighed in relief. "Whew, that was close." he remarked. The pokémon slowly uncoiled and began nuzzling and licking the child's cheek. "Hey, stop it! It tickles!" the raven haired youth laughed.

The pokémon ceased its antics and gazed at Ash with its curious purple eyes. The close proximity of the pokémon allowed Ash to take in the creature before him in great detail. Ash confirmed that as he had noticed earlier, it was a serpentine Pokémon with a blue body and a white underside. It had white, three-pronged fins on the sides of its head and a white bump on its forehead. With a start, Ash realized that the oval eyes above its large, round, white snout were examining him as well.

"Hi! My name's Ash!" he introduced himself. "What's your name?"

The pokémon smiled at Ash. "Dratini!" it cooed.

Ash smiled at the now identified Dratini, but soon frowned in concern, noticing for the first time that Dratini had many bruises on its body and especially a worse looking scar below its right eye. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried. He thought of the best way to help the dragon pokémon. Unfortunately, he didn't have much experience with pokémon. The only pokémon he had interacted personally was at professor Oak's lab. His eyes widened in comprehension. "I got it! I could take you to professor Oak's lab to get you healed up." He grinned. But soon he realized that Dratini had started panicking. Misunderstanding its fear, Ash tried to assure the pokémon. "Don't worry, Professor Oak is a nice person and-" he stopped in mid-sentence as Dratini shook its head vigorously and glanced repeatedly at the other bank of the river. Ash concentrated, and he could make out the sound of an approaching vehicle.

From Dratini's reaction, Ash had a feeling that the situation was not good at all. As the sound grew closer, Ash followed his instincts and immediately picked up Dratini, who squeaked at the sudden move. Ash hurried back into the underbrush and hid behind a cluster of bushes, straining his ears for anything dangerous. After a few moments, he deduced that the vehicle had reached the bank and stopped. But before he could do anything, he heard a voice.

"Now where did that blasted Dratini go?" a male voice came across the small river, seemingly talking to itself. "I need to catch that pokémon no matter what. The client is already threatening to cancel our agreement!"

Ash drew out his courage and slowly and carefully peeked over the bush. Luckily for him, the person was looking in the opposite direction to his position. He managed to make out a man in his thirties who wore a black formal coat and equally black jeans held together by a silver belt which had some strange devices that Ash didn't recognize. He had bright blonde hair that stood out from his dark attire. The man was leaning on his vehicle, which Ash finally made out to be a grey-colored jeep with strange features. Noticing the man turning around, Ash quickly ducked back behind the bush, preventing the small dragon in his arms from making any noise that could give away their position.

"What was that? I think I saw some movement." he said to himself. Ash's heart beat rapidly as the footsteps started making their way in their direction. Ash was a bit thankful that the man would need to cross the river if he wanted to reach the trainer and pokémon duo which would give them plenty of time to run away. But all of that was unnecessary because just in that moment, a cell phone rang. "Hello, who is it?" the man asked which was followed by silence for a few seconds before the man spoke once again. "You can't do that! I promise that I'll catch the Dratini." But the person on the other side didn't seem to have much patience anymore. "Fine. As you wish." the man muttered. "Annoying clients. Can't they give me some more time? Well, it looks like I don't have any need of that Dratini anymore." the sound of engine starting reached Ash's ears before it slowly faded into the distance.

Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god we escaped." He said. He looked down at Dratini and smiled weakly, adrenalin still pumping through his body. "How about we make our way to Professor Oak's lab to give you that checkup I promised?" Dratini cooed and Ash made his way back to Pallet Town, Dratini wrapped around his neck and laying its head on his shoulders comfortably.

15 minutes later found Ash knocking at the door of professor Oak's lab located on a hill at the outskirts of the small town, which coincidentally happened to be just up the road from Ash's own home. "Coming!" came a voice. Ash waited for a minute, fidgeting the entire time before the door opened to reveal a man in his mid-forties wearing a white lab coat over a red shirt and brown pants. He had brown hair which had streaks of grey in them. On seeing who was at his door, the man's blue eyes brightened. "Ah Ash my boy, what can I do for you today?" he asked kindly.

Ash smiled at the man - Professor Oak - and explained the situation. "Hello there professor I found this Dratini in the nearby forest and it is very hurt and some man tried to catch it he said it was for some client or other but he soon left and I didn't know what to do so I came here for your help so can you help it?" he blurted out at a rapid pace.

Professor Oak blinked. It took him several minutes to process all the information that was dumped on him so fast. But upon spying the bruises on the blue dragon that hung tightly to the small boy, gazing at him in slight apprehension, he jumped into action. "Alright, bring it to the recovery room." he ordered the boy.

Ash did as he was asked and entered the lab. He followed the elder man through the various twists and turns before reaching a door that had "Recovery Room" written on it. The two humans and one pokémon entered the room before professor Oak gestured Ash to lay Dratini on a bed that was hooked up to some kind of complicated machine.

Professor Oak switched on the machine which started glowing along with the pokémon which was beginning to get scared. Ash shushed it, murmuring assurances that everything was going to be alright. Oak smiled at the way that Dratini calmed down on hearing Ash's words. He mused to himself that the two of them were already developing a strong bond with each other. Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts, he fixed his gaze to the screen above the machine which was now displaying some numbers in a certain pattern which Ash couldn't decipher. "Hmm, it looks like Dratini is suffering from some heavy injuries, probably from battling a strong pokémon," he said aloud. Seeing the alarm on Ash's face, he quickly assured the boy. "But don't worry, it is going to be completely fit in no time."

Ash let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thanks professor!" he gave the professor a look that was filled with gratitude. He didn't understand it, but he felt really close to Dratini. He didn't want to think of it in any pain.

Professor Oak smiled gently at the amber eyed child. "No problem. Now why don't you let Dratini rest? You can meanwhile tell me the entire story." he offered. Ash turned around and noticed that the serpentine pokémon had fallen into a deep, healing sleep. Nodding his ascent at the professor's suggestion, both of them made their way out of the room and into another one that had a couple of armchairs and a sofa and looked quite cozy. After each of them sat in an armchair, professor Oak began. "So why don't you start from the beginning?"

Ash hesitated, wondering where to start but observing the encouraging look that the older man gave him, Ash started from the very beginning.

Ten minutes later, Ash concluded his tale with, "...And so, I brought Dratini here." he finished.

Professor Oak scowled. Many emotions were raging through him, anger, disgust, disapproval, exasperation and so on. He knew that Gary was becoming a bit - well, ahem - arrogant but making fun of Ash, especially in front of everyone, was going a bit too far. But the most prominent feeling was of anger. Anger towards the man who tried to forcefully capture Dratini, even going so far to hurt it so brutally. He knew that it was going to take time to heal from all its wounds - both physical and mental - and the scar below its eye was going to remain there, as a reminder of this incident.

After allowing the professor to have his time in sorting all the information he had revealed, he attracted his attention. "Umm, Professor Oak? Who exactly was that person that hurt Dratini?" he asked curiously.

Oak snapped out of his inner thoughts. "Huh? Oh, him? I believe that it was a poacher," Receiving a blank stare in return, he elaborated. "A poacher is a person who captures wild pokémon as well as pokémon of trainers for selling them to others for making money."

Ash gasped in horror. "What!? That's so... so... horrible!" he exclaimed, sick to his stomach. "Can't anyone do something to stop them? The pokémon league? The police?"

Oak gave the child a grim look. "Yes, but there's only enough that the police or the league can do. They're really dangerous, those poachers."

Ash scowled in frustration. He crossed his arms and glared at the wall beside him. Oak tried to change the subject. "So Ash, what are you going to do with the Dratini?" he asked, curious to know his answer.

Ash thought for a moment. "Can I keep it? Please?" he pleaded with the professor, giving him a pair of Growlithe eyes.

Oak chuckled. "You know that the final decision will lie with Dratini, right?" he pointed out. Receiving a nod, Oak continued. "So if Dratini agrees, you can certainly keep it."

Ash cheered in happiness. Both professor and child sat in a comfortable silence, waiting for Dratini to heal. Oak took out some research papers and examined them for some time. Ash meanwhile was in deep thought. He was thinking of the circumstances that had led to this situation. Turning his head to look at the professor, Ash tentatively spoke up. "Err, Professor Oak?"

The pokémon researcher looked up from his work. "Yes, my boy?" he asked.

Ash hesitated for a moment. Shrugging his shoulders, he soldiered on. "I-I was wondering I-if you c-could teach me more about p-pokémon?" he stuttered out.

Oak gazed at the child, intrigued. He could imagine where such a request had come from. But was he worthy? He was just a child... although, the way he dealt with Dratini showed that he truly cared for pokémon. Further, he seemed eager and sincere to learn about the creatures. "Are you sure that you want to learn from me?" he asked. When Ash was about to nod immediately, he raised his hand to stop him and went on. "I warn you, it's not going to be easy. You'll have to work very hard. Think about it carefully."

Ash paused. He knew that the professor was right and it wasn't going to be simple. But he had to do it. He needed to show Gary and the others that he wasn't some stupid, worthless kid. No, he was going to show them his true power and become the world's greatest Pokémon Master. Looking into Oak's blue eyes with his determined amber ones, he nodded. "Yes, professor. I'm sure that I want to learn from you." he said in conviction.

Oak smiled at Ash with pride in his eyes. "Alright then, we'll start your education tomorrow. Why don't you go back to your house and rest a bit. Your mother must be worried sick. You can come back tomorrow morning." Oak advised. "And by the time you arrive here, Dratini should be completely healthy."

Ash jumped out of the armchair with an excited grin. "Alright professor! See ya tomorrow!" he called back as he zipped out of the lab towards his home.

Oak laughed at the child's back. "Ah, the energy of today's youth." he remarked before getting up himself to prepare everything for tomorrow. He knew that Ash was going to be an excellent student and full of surprises.

Present Day, inside a forest in Johto, Near Mt. Silver.

"... and that day marked the beginning of my studies on pokémon under Professor Oak's tutelage." Ash finished the story.

Silence was the only thing that remained in the forest clearing except the crackling of the campfire. "Wow, you had an incredible day." Misty wondered in awe.

"Yeah, I never thought that you and Dragonite had such a history." Brock commented, shaking his head. "So what happened next?"

Ash smiled at his starter pokémon. "Just as I promised professor Oak, I went back the next day. Dratini became healthy and decided to stay with me." he remembered fondly, rubbing Dragonite's head.

"Larvitar..." Larvitar murmured. It was such a great and heart touching story.

"Toge Togepi!" Togepi chirped, clapping its hands. Everyone laughed at the pokémon.

Ash then turned to Larvitar, still chuckling. "So Larvitar, are you ready for your training?" Larvitar jumped up and down excitedly. Ash gave it a contemplative look. "Come to think of it, I never looked you up on the Pokédex. He dug inside a pocket and pulled out a device. It was a black rectangle device that had only one button at the side with the picture of a half poké ball on top. He was reminded of the day he got it.

It had been a few days since the Indigo League had concluded and Ash had won it using only his Dragonite. Professor Oak had called him into his lab for some purpose that was supposedly important enough that he needed to tell him in person. Upon reaching the lab, the professor had explained that this was a new version of the old Pokédex that was invented by his truly. In simple terms, it combined the Pokédex of different regions and all the information known on each and every pokémon discovered till date. The main difference from the old one was that it had the data of not only pokémon from Kanto, but also all pokémon from all regions. It could give information on everything that a trainer needed to know. But surprising of all, it was a prototype and the only one in existence. Oak confided in him that he trusted no one else but Ash with testing this device.

Ash came out of his memories and pointed the Pokédex, known as the National Dex, at Larvitar. He pushed the button on the side. Suddenly, the screen on top flipped open, the bottom part expanding so that the two halves formed into a single screen. He pointed it at Larvitar. "Scan." he told the device.

The screen glowed before a hologram image of Larvitar appeared above the screen and the National Dex started speaking in a smooth, female voice. "Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon. Larvitar is born deep under the ground. To come up to the surface, this Pokémon must eat its way through the soil above. Until it does so, Larvitar cannot see its parents."

Ash gazed at Larvitar for a moment. Turning his attention to Dexter, he spoke once again. "What is Larvitar's ability and moves?" he asked. He had recently learned that all the pokémon had some sort of ability.

The Dexter paused for a moment and then started speaking once more. "This Larvitar's ability is Sand Veil. Sand Veil will increase Larvitar's evasiveness in a sand storm. This Larvitar knows the moves Harden, Screech and Hidden Power. It knows the egg moves Ancient Power and Assurance."

The humans looked quite impressed. "I wonder what type Larvitar's hidden power is going to be?" Brock wondered.

Ash smirked. "Why don't we ask Dexter?" Ash retorted. "Dexter, what type is Larvitar's Hidden Power?"

"This Larvitar's Hidden Power is of the Poison type." Dexter told them in a monotone.

"Okay. Well, Larvitar won't have much problem in defeating grass types." Misty observed.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. He suddenly yawned. "Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm going to sleep." He switched off the National Dex and pulled out his sleeping bag, crawling into it. Brock and Misty followed him. Togepi snuggled with Misty while Larvitar joined Ash. Dragonite looked around in suspicion for any danger before going to sleep itself, protecting its human and pokémon friends. Before it went into dreamland, it opened its eyes before slowly flapping its wings and putting out the fire. With a smile, it finally went to sleep.

A/N: So, how did you like it? Was it any good? Yes, the first chapter didn't seem like the old one at all. But it is the main reason for it being a rewrite. I didn't explain most of the things here in 'TWT:TLR'. And I believe that many of you wondered – not for the first time – the story behind Ash and Dragonite. So, here it is!

Well, I'm in bit of a rush; need to celebrate the new year and all, you know.

Please review with your thoughts on this chapter. I would love to hear any kind of feedback and criticism. Thanks for reading!

Signing out,

The Black Prince


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